Focusing device for moving-picture machines.



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I 1 AQNELSON.

i FOCUSING DEVICE FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILEDl N.8.Y1918.

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` FOCUSING DEVICE FOR MOVING'PICTURE MACHINES.

' APLxcATlQN FILEDHMS. 191B. 1,271,929. f --Patented July 9,1918.

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FOCUSING DEVICEFOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED LANE. 191B.

l Patented J u1y9, 1918.

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- means being electrically controlled.'

' operating motor, and

STA

EMIL A. NELSON, or"4 niILUrH, MINNESOTA.

rocUsINo Davies ron MOVING-'PICTURE MACHINES.

1,271,929. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 9z 1918, Application filed January 8, 1918. Serial No. 210,900.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I; EMIL A. NELsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 4Focusing Devices for Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specifica-tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. i

This invention relates to focusing devices for motion picture machines, and has special reference to mechanical means directly connected with and operating the lens carrying tube or barrel and by which a picture projected from the machine is focused, said The principal object of the invention is to produce a simple and practical device of this character which may be readily applied to various makes of moving picture machines, such for example, as the owers machine or the Simplex, which are illustrated in this application.

Referring to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and in `Which-like reference characters indicate like motor and sol'enoidswhere ther former is employed inthe mechanism,

, Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic view of one form Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a projecting lens equipped with a transverse shaft and 'Wheel for adjusting the lens and to which yl have shownf'attached an electric motor control^similar to thatl shown in Figs. 6 and S.

As the device and system of control illustrated in Figs. l-2.-,-3V and 4 are those specifically claimed in this application Iwill proceed to describe same.

l 1 represents a Powers moving picture machine head having a laterally projecting-base portion 2 upon which is attached in any desired manner, a forwardly extending bracket 3. This bracket has upwardly' projecting extensions 4. and 5 for supporting parts of the lens controlling mechanism.

The lens jacket or supporting tube is illustrated at 6, it having the usuall screw 7,'

therein which extends into the diagonal slot illustrated at 8 in the lens carrying barrel 9, this construction being common in such projecting lenses.

10 represents a wide faced ring gear fixed in any desired manner to the rotatable lens Y barrel 9 and in this respect is similar to the construction shown in an application of even date herewith filed by me Jan. 8,'1918 and numbered 210,899.

Beneath the gear 1 0 and meshing therewith are two small horizontally spaced spur gears 11 and 12. These gears are supported upon and fixed to short shafts 1 3 loosely journaledl in a suitable extension 14 of the i bracket 5. The opposite ends/of the shafts 13 have fixed thereto flat soft iron disks 15 which are at all times in close relation to similarl disks 16 fixed to shafts l17 indirect axial alinem'ent with' the shafts 13. The shafts 17 are journaled Within spaced' exof electric control. and wiring system forv tension 18-18of the bracket extension aand the operating motor,

Fig. 6 is a side lelevation of 'a Simplex moving picture head with a modified form of lens operating device. al

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a Powers head with a modified form of projecting lens and a still further modified formof operating device.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a projecting lens with a further modification ofthe operating mechanism,

Fig. 9 is a similar. view to Fig. 5 of'another form of control and wiring for the between the'extensions 18 and about-Teach` f shaft is formed a magnetizing. coil of wire 19, there preferably being a loose fitting sleeve, not shown, labove each shaft and of suitable metal, -upon which the coils are `formed. i

Thus the shafts 17 become the cores of the coils 19 and when thel latterare electrically energized eacL coil and core constitute an electromagnet capable of attracting any susceptible object adjacent the core l thereof. `As before described, thedisks -15 on the shafts 13 are each in close proximity to one of the disks .r6 on its respective shaft l core 17 so that when either one of said cores is magnetized it will attract and hold fast, so longas the energizing influence continues,

the disk adjacent thereto. By thismeanseach pair of alined shafts 13 and 17 may be electrically united or separated and their respective parts operated in unison or separately, the object of which will appear later.

Upon the inner end of eaclnshaft 17 is fixed a driving spur gear, they being numbered and 21. than the gears 11 and 12 and are of a diameter to properly intermesh at all' times,` the one 20 driving the one 21,'though as is evicd parts ,and wheneither one ofthe coils 19 is electrically energizedthe electromagnetic attractive force created in the respectivev shaft 17 will instantly hold in operative connection therewith the correspondf ing short shaft 13 and small gear meshing `with the ring gear 1() thus imparting rotative motion to the lens carrying barrel so long as the electric circuit; to said coil is closed. It is however understoodthat at no time is it necessary to keep either of the circuits closedexcept for but an instant as v.would ordinarily be accomplished by the pushing of a button and the direction of rotation of the lens barrel depends entirely upon which one of the coils19 are energized. j

As an electric connection to the coils 19 I have illustrated in.Fig. 3 a three wire system comprising the neutral wire 28A leading' from one pole of-the battery and connected to one pole f each of the coils 19 while the-opposite pole of one coil is connected with a wire'29 paralleling a second neutral wire 30 from the opposite'pole to the battery and 'the other pole of the other coil 19 is connected with the wire 31 paralleling the neutral Wire 30, and to which neutral -wire the wires v29 and 31 are made electrically responsive by one or more suitable push buttons illustrated at 32.

" It is obvious that the wlres 29-30 a'iidi3l 4stantly may be led to any desired position or positions remote from the picture machine and from where the projecting lens may be inadjusted in either direction for properly focusing the picture.

' In Figf2, I have illustrated in dotted i line,y at 33 an electric motor Acommon 'to ,the

These gears are larger art.

Four-point switches 39 are shown in the welectric circuit by which the direction of trade and having a sheave 34C fixed to the protruding armature shaft 35. 'This sheave may be directly connected tothe sheave 24 by a suitable belt and thus impart motion to the lens barrel operating device instead of. 'deriving such motion from the crankshaft of the picture machine.

lVith this arrangement the mechanism would not be continuously operated and in some cases it may prove the more desirable form of operating power.

In Fig. il, I have illustrated an operative 'wiring system for such a motor driven connection and which varies but slightly from vthat illustrated in Fig.- 3 except that the .motor 33 is installed within the electric cir- 4cuit and operated .simultaneously with the energizing of. either one vof the coils, the

.ultimate result being the same in both arrangements.

In Fig. 7, I have shown amotor 36 si1ni' Vlarto themotor 33 directly connected with the' ring gear 10 by means of a small spur gear 37 iixed'to the armature shaft 38 of the motor and in which case the motor would have to be connected in such a manner as to be reversible. For this purpose I havev diagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig. 9 oneform of wiring system which will be readily understood by those skilled in the current in the field may be changed to reverse-the motor.` Push buttons are shown at 40, and as before related, any desired number of push buttons and switches may be installed, ilt being obvious'that a switch and button would be available at each locationfrom whence focusing is accomplished.

In Fig-5, is shown a wellunderstood modification of the -wiring system and by which the current may be reversed in the armature instead of the field.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a moto'r operated focusing attachment upon a Simplex ma-y chine in which the focusing is accomplished by adjusting a thumb knob 'or wheel extending from the top of the machine housing. The motor 41 is supported upon any suitable form of bracket 42 and has. fixed to the armature shaft a worm 4.3 which meshes with and drives'the worm gear 4A fixed to the adjusting shaft 45 found upon"` such machines and to which the knob above referred tois customarily fixed.

InVFig. 8, is illustrated a' slight modified form of motor and worm attachment operating a ring gear fined directly to the lens barrel and which could be conveniently ap- 'plicd to the style of machine known to ther trade as the Powers 6-B.' j

In Fig. 10,' the upright motor` with worm attached is shown as operating a projecting lens equipped with a transverse shaft under rea the jacket which carries the lens barrel, said form of construction being common in they"` art. i

I have illustrated the above various embodiments of my invention in order. to more clearly show its adaptability to different machines and still other modifications and changes in details of construction within the scope of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spiritthereof. Having thus described my invention what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letf ters Patent, isl l 1. A device of the character described comprising in combination a motion picture machine having a reciprocable rotative projection lens extending therefrom, rotary power transmitting means journaled below the lensand in constant operative engage ment with the 'barrel'azarrying'the lens,- means for furnishing powerto the transmitting means, whereby the lens barrel may be rotated in either direction.

2. The combination with a motion picture machine having a rotatable projection lens carrying barrel 'and a spur gear, fixed to said barrel, of two smaller spur gears constantly in mesh with the larger gear, means for intermittently mechanically operating the smaller gears, electric means for controlling said intermissions and means remotefrom the machine for controlling said electric means.

3. The combination with a motion picture machine having a rotatable projection lens A carrying barrel with a ring gear attached thereto for rotating same, of rotative mechanical means upon either side of the ring gear and below thecenter of same, means for imparting constant rotating motion to said mechanicalmeans and electric means for alternately and intermittently engaging the ring gear with the rotating means,

vwhereby the projection lens may be adjusted in either direction for focusing purposes. 4. The combination with a motion picture machine having a rotatable projection lens carrying barrel 'with a ring gear attached thereto, of two small short shafts in parallel axial alinement with the ring gear, small 5o spur gears on the outer ends of said short I, shafts and in constant engagement with the ring gear, disks fixed to the inner ends of said shafts, two other longer shafts in axial alinement with the shorter shafts, disks close to the first mentioned disks and fixed to the ends of the longer i shafts, magnetic spools of wire about the longer shafts and in which the latter arerotatable, large intermeshing spur gears fixed to the opposite ends of the longer shafts and by which the 'latter are rotated in opposite directions,

electric circuits for alternately and intermittently controlling said circuits substantially as and for the purpose described.

5.. The combination with a motion picture machine having a rotatable lens carrying barrel for focusing purposes, of rotary driving means in constant engagement with the barrel and by which the latter may be rotated in either direction and means for electrically intermittently -and lalternately controlling the rotary means. 80

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EMIL A. NELSON. Witnesses: l

W. H. DENHAM,

S. Gmo. STEVENS. 

